Scripture Verse

Follow Me. John 1:43

Introduction

portrait
William W. How (1823–1897)
National Portrait Gallery

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Words: Will­iam W. How, 1871; vers­es 4–5, alt. from Tho­mas Ken, 1721.

Music: St. Law­rence Leigh­ton G. Hayne, 1863 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

  • Erfurt Geist­liche Lied­er (Leip­zig, Ger­ma­ny: 1539) (🔊 pdf nwc)

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Hayne (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Behold, the Mas­ter pass­eth by!
O seest thou not His plead­ing eye?
With low sad voice He call­eth thee,
Leave this vain world, and fol­low Me.

O soul, bowed down with har­row­ing care,
Hast thou no thought for Heav’n to spare?
From earth­ly toils lift up thine eye;
Behold, the Mas­ter pass­eth by!

One heard Him call­ing long ago,
And straight­way left all things be­low
Counting his earth­ly gain as loss
For Je­sus and His bless­èd cross.

That Fol­low Me his faith­ful ear
Seemed ev­ery day afresh to hear;
Its ech­oes stirred his spir­it still,
And fired his hope, and nerved his will.

God gent­ly calls us ev­ery day:
Why should we then our bliss de­lay?
Thou, Lord, e’en now art call­ing me;
I will leave all, and fol­low Thee.